Butler and Vinton County Fairs

Butler County Fair

July 20th 2008

Hamilton, Ohio was buzzing with the Butler County Fair on Sunday morning with the King and Queen contest. It was a very competitive contest with lots of well qualified young men and women. The contestants had to go through a grueling interview with a panel of three judges and then an even more nerve racking on stage portion with impromptu questions. Despite their nerves they all did a wonderful job and I have full confidence that any one of them would represent their county well. Although they were all winners in my book the judges did have to pick one young lady and young men to serve as the Butler County King and Queen. After I assisted in crowning the two lucky contestants we then took time to pose for a few pictures. Congrats again to the new king and queen! I'm sure you'll have a fun week!

Vinton County Fair

July 20th 2008

After witnessing the crowning of the Butler County King and Queen I made a mad dash to McArthur, Ohio for the Vinton County Queen's Tea and Fair. The queen's tea was a huge hit with royalty from all over southern Ohio. We had a lovely meal and got some cool goodies for attending. After lots of pictures I headed on down to the fairgrounds where I took a tour of the grounds before hitting the road for home! Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the queen's contest that evening but I'm sure they all did a wonderful job and they picked the right girl!

Warren County Fair

July 19th 2008

This morning I headed to Lebanon, Ohio for the great Warren County Fair. Upon arrival I met up with the senior fairboard president who gave me the grand tour and making sure we stopped at all of the big events that were going on that morning. One of our stops was at the livestock sale where I had the chance to say a few words before I was presented with a special gift for visiting their fair. After that we headed on down to the horse arena where it was fun day! I got to talk with some of the exhibitors who were preparing for the apple under the chin contest. I finished up my trip at the Little Miss and Little Mister Warren County Fair contest. There were hundreds of little ones competing for the grand titles and I'm sure the judges had a very tough time coming to a decision, they are all winners in my book! Thanks so much to everyone from Warren County who helped make my visit memorable and fun!

Crawford County Fair

July 18th 2008


Well tonight was a very busy night! I traveled to Bucyrus, Ohio for the Crawford County Fair to help out with the sale of champions. However, before heading down there I had a quick interview with Jerry Revish from 10 TV News who was visiting Crawford County Fair as part of 10 TV's Summer Road Trip. After my ten seconds of fame I traveled down to where I feel most comfortable, the sale of champions, where I helped accept bids and get the most money out of the buyers. In fact, tonight I believe there were four new sale records set! After the sale I mingled with a few Ohio Cattlemen's friends and then headed off to the rodeo to witness some great bull riding and some hilarious sheep riding! Check out this video!! This kid was amazing.

I finished up my evening with a good old fashion 4-H dance before hitting the road. Thanks to everyone who showed me around tonight and showed me what Crawford County was all about!

Perry County Fair

THE FRIENDLIEST FAIR IN OHIO!!!

Tonight I visited the Perry County Fair in New Lexington, Ohio and might I say it is the friendliest town I've ever been to. When I first arrived I was a bit lost but there were plenty of people who came to the rescue to point me in the right direction. After a tour of the grounds by the Senior Fairboard President I went to the steer show to help with the presentation of the grand and reserve grand champion awards. After that I stopped by the tractor pull and horse show before making my way down the midway. After filling my tummy with lots of great fair food and meeting tons of wonderful people, I decided to make my way home to prepare for my next fair! Thank you Perry County for making my trip so memorable and worth the while!

Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions Appreciation Luncheon

Thursday, July 17th 2008

Today I had the honor of attending the buyers' appreciation luncheon at the governor's residence in Bexley, Ohio. Among those in attendance were various sale of champion buyers and Ohio State Fair Board members and Ohio Expo Commissioners. Director of Agriculture, Robert Boggs, was also among those who attended the luncheon. It was a lovely event and a great time to mingle with friends and honor those who support the Ohio State Fair and its exhibitors. After lunch, the Governor said a few words and then concluded the meeting. Overall it was a great day and I feel so honored to be a part of it.

Carroll and Ottawa County Fair

Carroll County Fair

July 15th 2008

On Tuesday I headed north once again but this time I was heading for Carrollton, Ohio, home of the Carroll County Fair. That afternoon I was given the honor of crowning the new king and queen and their runner-ups. After that we then went for a quick stroll around the fairgrounds and visited all of the barns and exhibitor buildings. We even checked out the midway where a little boy got us with a stink bomb! It was a great day and looks like they will have great weather for their fair! Good luck to all the exhibitors and have fun!

Ottawa County Fair

July 16th 2008

Today I went up to Oak Harbor, Ohio, which is home of my 1st runner up, Rose Huskey. Rose and I met back in January at the Ohio Fair Managers Convention and got to know each other a bit through the queen's contest. Upon arrival I got to meet the newly crowned queen Ariel Estes and her King, Ruben Castillo, who gave me a tour of the grounds and then took me to the senior citizens luncheon where hundreds of folks came out to enjoy a great meal and a day at the fair. After helping serve lunch, I grabbed some of my own before heading off to help out with the beef show. While I was at the beef show I got to meet the 2007 Ottawa County Fair Queen, Miss Samantha Phillips, who will be running for my title in January, as well as Ariel.

Unfortunately during the beef show the electric went out across the fairgrounds and when I had left they still did not have power. Hopefully they got their power back up and running and were able to continue to put on another great Ottawa County Fair!

Jackson County Fair

July 14th 2008

Today I made my third and final trip to Jackson County for the royalty picnic and parade, which were held during their county fair. The royalty picnic was the first event of the day and was fabulous! There were so many queens and princesses from surrounding counties and festivals, so I definitely felt honored to be a part of this special event. I had the opportunity to sit with and get to know Chelsie Folden, Miss Teen Ohio USA, who was also an honored guest at the picnic. After eating some great food and getting tons of pictures we then began to get ready for the parade and crowning of the 2008 royalty court. After the long parade the wait was finally over and the queen and her court were crowned!

Congratulations to Rosa and to her court! I'm sure you will have a great year! Thanks for having me and see you in January!

Franklin and Adams County Fair

Franklin County Fair

July 12th 2008

Saturday evening I made the short drive to visit the Franklin County Fair for the royalty contest. Upon arrival I met up with a couple of senior fairboard members who gave me the grand tour of the fairgrounds. I learned a lot about the history of the Franklin County Fair, as well as got to see some of the new additions that they have made. While strolling around the fairgrounds I got to check out the exotic petting zoo, which seemed to be a huge hit with not only the kids but the adults too! I also visited the booth building and even voted as a guest judge for the best booth! At 7 PM the royalty contest began. Bob Nunnally and Monica Day, members of the Channel 4 News Team, were the hosts for the evening and announced the 2008 Royalty Court. Monica is also Miss Ohio USA, so of course I had to get my picture with her! Everyone was so friendly and despite the sporadic downpours of rain it was a great night at the fair!

Adams County Fair

July 13th 2008

On Sunday I made my second drive ever to Adams County for their county fair; however this time I was there for a slightly different reason. I was invited to be a part of their opening ceremonies and even got to say a few words. After the introduction of their royalty court and the official opening of the Adams County Fair, I made my way on down to the beef barn for the open beef show. After seeing a few fellow beef exhibitors and a friend of the OFMA I decided to split and head on home. Thanks to Dennis Plummer for making me feel welcomed and showing me around!

Logan County Fair

Today was another thrilling day on the fair circuit where I traveled to Bellefontaine, Ohio for the Logan County Fair. It was definitely a hot and sticky day but that didn't seem to stop people from coming out and enjoying the fair. Upon arriving on the fairgrounds I met Queen Jessica Frazure and some of her court who gave me a tour of the fairgrounds and then took me for some free pizza in the poultry barn! Soon after that we made our way to the sales arena for the start of the livestock sale where we helped pass out thank you cards to buyers. After the sale we headed on down to see the entertainment for the evening which was bull riding! The queen and I even got to announce the bull riders and bulls as they came ripping out of the gate. It was so exciting! A big thanks to all the people who showed me around the Logan County Fair and made my trip worth the while! Next stop is Franklin County on Saturday, July 12th for the queen's contest! Hope to see you there! And make sure you check out this cute video of some of the kids participating in a contest during a break from bull riding! Aren't they cute?

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY. COME AGAIN ANOTHER DAY!

Trumbull County Fair

July 8th 2008

Well like they always say "The show must go on" and indeed it did despite the horrible storm that rolled in just about the time the opening ceremonies and crowning of the royal court were to begin. After about a half an hour spent in the ladies restroom on the fairgrounds, the storm finally broke and the ceremonies began! Although there was no power on the fairgrounds and everyone was soaked from head to toe, it didn't stop people from coming out to see who the next king and queen would be. After the crowning and some brief award presentations, I made a quick stroll around the fairgrounds and then got out of there because there was word another storm was heading our way!

Harrison County Fair

July 9th 2008

Well just when I thought I was driving away from the rain little did I know that Harrison County Fairgrounds was hit hard with the rain as well! But once again the shows went on and the people were right there with umbrellas in hand to watch the popular beef show. First up was showmanship and then the actual market show. They had a nice size show and the stands were full of people watching. Thanks to the junior fairboard members and county royalty for letting me help out with the show!

Lawrence County Fair

Well it was my first time to Proctorville, Ohio for the Lawrence County Fair on Monday, July 7th and I had a blast. Everyone was so kind and welcoming and really made me feel at home. My first privilege upon arriving was to not only witness the opening ceremonies and crowning of the new queen and princess but to announce the contestants and winners! Following that was a parade of all the 4-H clubs led by the newly crowned queens and myself. Somewhere in between all of that I also had the opportunity to catch up with Miss Gallia County who represents the county where our very own OFMA President Tim Massie resides. Before leaving I made a trip around the fairgrounds to check out all the projects and exhibits and even made my way over to check out the campgrounds! It was a great day to be at the fair and thanks to all the nice people from Lawrence County for making me feel welcomed! Next stop: Trumbull and Harrison County Fairs!!

Clinton and Madison County Fairs

Clinton County Fair

On Saturday I visited Clinton County Fair for the crowning of their 2008 Jr. Fair King and Queen! But before the crowning of the new king and queen I had a chance to catch up with last year's king and queen. However, this was not my first time meeting Clinton County Jr. Fair Queen, Kayla Alexander, because she is a former Ohio Beef Queen as well and a fellow lamb exhibitor. Before leaving the fair I had to stop in the beef barn and say hello to some old friends from my Beef Queen days who were preparing for the open beef show! Good luck guys!!

Madison County Fair

Sunday I traveled back to London, Ohio for the Madison County Fair where I helped to judge the Jr. Fair King, Queen and Princess Contest. Interviews were conducted prior to the fair but the onstage portion of the contest was held on that Sunday evening. Before the contest began a royalty picnic was held for all visiting royalty from surrounding counties. They had a wonderful turn out despite the extreme heat and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Congratulations to all the contestants and especially to the new King, Queen and Princess. Have a good week and enjoy yourselves!

Marion County Fair

Marion County Fair was booming full of excitement on Tuesday, July 1st with tons of shows and events taking place. Upon arriving I met with a senior fairboard member who showed me around and took me to my first event, which was the lamb show. There I had the opportunity to meet the Lamb and Wool Queen, Kelly Guthrie who was my escort for the day. I also had the chance to meet the Jr. Fair King and Queen, Luke Shepherd and Tiffany Bowman. After an interview with ABN farm radio, I snagged some stromboli from my favorite pizza guy and then headed off to the horse show to pass out some ribbons.

Thanks to everyone in Marion County for their hospitality and the cool name tag!!!

Putnam County Fair

Well after plenty of rain in Ottawa, Ohio the sun finally appeared for a few short hours on Saturday just in time for me to get to visit and tour the Putnam County Fair. After making the long drive up, I was greeted by Don Verhoff, Senior Fairboard President, who gave me a tour of the fairgrounds. My first stop was to visit the sales arena to watch the famous Beef, Lamb and Goat Obstacle Course. This event was hilarious and definitely a crowd favorite. After that I watched another crowd favorite, the decorated animal contest. The kids had a great time and came up with some pretty creative costumes. Despite the rain it was a very fun and exciting day! Thanks Putnam County for making my visit memorable!!!

Scioto County Fair Queen's Contest

Today I traveled to Portsmouth, Ohio to judge 11 young women who were vying for the 2008 Scioto County Fair Queen and Court title. Each contestant participated in a ten minute interview with myself and one other judge and then later answered an onstage question in front of family and friends. At the end of the evening the five finalists were announced; however, the official results will not be revealed until opening ceremonies of the fair. All of the girls did a wonderful job and all should be proud of their accomplishments. Also, congratulations to outgoing queen Meighan Stevens and good luck at the state competition!

Pickaway County Fair

Today I traveled to Circleville, Ohio for the Pickaway County Fair! Upon arrival I was given a tour by a junior fairboard member and then escorted to the main stage for the King and Queen contest. Before the contest there was a brief introduction of dignitaries and public officials including Director of Agriculture Robert Boggs, State Representative John Schlichter and Senator John Carey. Following that was the introduction of the king and queen contestants and then the crowning of the King and Queen. Congrats to Katie Liff and Will Ett on being crowned the 2008 Pickaway County Queen and King!

Jackson County Queen's Contest

On Saturday evening I had the privilege to MC the Jackson County Queen's Contest. There were 13 well qualified contestants who were vying the for title of the 2008 Jackson County Fair Queen. These women each went through an interview, which was held during the day and onstage questions in front of not only the 3 judge panel but an audience of family and friends as well. I was so happy to be a part of this contest because when I was competing for the state title I met their 2006 Fair Queen Jill Hamblin, who is a lovely woman who I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet. Congratulations to the outgoing queen and her court; Kendel Arthur, Molly Brown and Katie Downey! Congratulations to the five finalists and good luck!

Paulding County Fair

Well the fairs have officially started!!! My first stop of the season was yesterday in Paulding County for their first day of their fair. Upon arrival I was greeted by the current reigning king and queen, Elizabeth and Travis. They took me on a tour of the fairgrounds and then took me to watch the Prince and Princess and Jr. King and Queen Contest. After watching the cute little ones on stage we then got in line for the opening day parade, I was lucky enough to get to ride with Jr. Fairboard member Jessie in his blue El Camero!! At the conclusion of the parade was the coronation of the 2008 Paulding County Fair King and Queen. Congratulations to Amber Gebers and Caleb Schlatter! I'm sure you both will represent Paulding County well and will have a fantastic year doing so. After a long day of horse shows, hog shows, style reviews and more, I decided to make the long drive home! Thanks to all those people who welcomed me to Paulding County, especially the gentlemen who gave me free homemade ice cream! It was delicious!

OSU Dairy Extravaganza

Today I got the privilege to hang out with 20 Columbus preschoolers at the Waterman Dairy Facility on OSU's campus. We toured the facility and then went to make homemade butter! It was a fun day and the kids got to learn a lot about where the milk they drink comes from.

2008 Ohio Fair's Queen Contest

On Friday, April 25th 2008 I participated in OSU's Scarlet and Gray Ag Day, which is an event sponsored by the Agricultural Education Society, an organization within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. Approximately 500 Columbus-area 4th and 5th graders were in attendance that day and participated in three to four 30-minute sessions taught by OSU students, professors and industry leaders. This year's theme was Explore Agriculture: Past, Present & Future. The curriculum focused not only on the great strides that agricultural research has made in past history, but also where agricultural research could take us in the future. It helped students to gain a better understanding of the importance of America's #1 industry today.

In addition to the various sessions, students also had the opportunity to participate in a poster and essay contest in which the BUCKEYEMAN, Larry Lokai, himself selected the winners, as well as presented them with their awards and I was lucky enough to get to help him in congratulating these fine, young individuals! Overall, the day was a very fun and educational experience that I am so happy that I got to be a part of!!!